Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Author Judy Blume broke out onto the scene in the 1970s with a plethora of super popular young adult books. It has taken over 50 yrs., but one of her most beloved, life-changing titles, 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.' (helmed by writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig) has been made well into a wonderful film which illustrates that the themes that were important to girls in the '70s exist today, as well. This movie explores the life as a 6th grader with a focus on 2 universal areas: emerging sexuality & religion. Set in 1970, the plot revolves around 11 yr. old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson, excellent) whose family moves from NYC to suburban New Jersey just as she is traversing that shaky time btwn. childhood & adolescence.
Sweet, naive Margaret is befriended by bossy blonde, Nancy (Elle Graham), a vociferous neighbor, & her 6th grade girlfriends (Amari Price, Katherine Kupferer) who are quite aware of the upcoming changes in their bodies. In fact, they're fairly obsessed with their growing breasts, getting their periods, along with their heightened interest in boys. Additionally, Margaret has become curious about her cultural/religious identity. While her father, Herb (Benny Safdie), & adored grandma, Sylvia (Kathy Bates, just great) are Jewish, Margaret's mom, Barbara (Rachel McAdams, superb), is a lapsed Christian whose devout parents disowned her when she married out of their faith. To that, Margaret doesn't identify with any religion, despite longing to belong ... somewhere. During her anxiety-filled struggles with spirituality, she has her own conversations with 'God'. In due course, her confusion results in a pre-teen crisis; triggered by an unexpected & anguished family reunion.
'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.' is just a lovely, lovely movie -- exceptionally cast & saturated with warmth, whimsy, light humor, and also poignancy. It is about the timeless complexity of puberty, coming-of-age & religion; relevant topics that strongly evoke postulation as schools around America make new attempts at suppressing books in libraries -- grrr. As a gentle piece of cinematic art, I appreciated the director's take on the material and, I also loved how her production team made the period details of the setting, the clothes, and the wonderful music soundtrack work harmoniously.
As Margaret, Abby Ryder Fortson exhibits the perfect blend of sincerity, bewilderment, & her own sense of humor. The film wouldn't work without the specificities of her endearing portrayal. Kathy Bates gives us the kind of grandma that we all wish we had. She's brassy, funny, but also gives tinges of melancholy to Sylvia; a woman of a certain age who can get lonely, and who has difficulties letting her son & granddaughter find their way. And Rachel McAdams is outstanding in her nuanced portrayal of Barbara, who is trying to be the supportive wife & reassuring mother while also finding her own place in the world. McAdams deftly handles each wavering plot point & emotional tug-&-pull throughout the narrative with confident ease.
Perhaps the best aspect of this film is how ordinary everything plays-out. Any melodrama is kept at a subdued level. No one is struggling with a disease. No one gets pregnant at an early age. The family is loving. In other words, these are normal, well-adjusted people whose day-to-day problems are relatable ... and nonetheless engrossing. The film goes to show how seemingly miniscule things can become larger issues from within the pre-teen bubble. We've all experienced it {whether we were young boys or girls}. These issues may seem flimsy, but most of the time they shape a direction that we, as youths, go about our young lives & grow. 'Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret.' is destined to be an enchanting, empathetic coming-of-age classic.
Sweet, naive Margaret is befriended by bossy blonde, Nancy (Elle Graham), a vociferous neighbor, & her 6th grade girlfriends (Amari Price, Katherine Kupferer) who are quite aware of the upcoming changes in their bodies. In fact, they're fairly obsessed with their growing breasts, getting their periods, along with their heightened interest in boys. Additionally, Margaret has become curious about her cultural/religious identity. While her father, Herb (Benny Safdie), & adored grandma, Sylvia (Kathy Bates, just great) are Jewish, Margaret's mom, Barbara (Rachel McAdams, superb), is a lapsed Christian whose devout parents disowned her when she married out of their faith. To that, Margaret doesn't identify with any religion, despite longing to belong ... somewhere. During her anxiety-filled struggles with spirituality, she has her own conversations with 'God'. In due course, her confusion results in a pre-teen crisis; triggered by an unexpected & anguished family reunion.
'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.' is just a lovely, lovely movie -- exceptionally cast & saturated with warmth, whimsy, light humor, and also poignancy. It is about the timeless complexity of puberty, coming-of-age & religion; relevant topics that strongly evoke postulation as schools around America make new attempts at suppressing books in libraries -- grrr. As a gentle piece of cinematic art, I appreciated the director's take on the material and, I also loved how her production team made the period details of the setting, the clothes, and the wonderful music soundtrack work harmoniously.
As Margaret, Abby Ryder Fortson exhibits the perfect blend of sincerity, bewilderment, & her own sense of humor. The film wouldn't work without the specificities of her endearing portrayal. Kathy Bates gives us the kind of grandma that we all wish we had. She's brassy, funny, but also gives tinges of melancholy to Sylvia; a woman of a certain age who can get lonely, and who has difficulties letting her son & granddaughter find their way. And Rachel McAdams is outstanding in her nuanced portrayal of Barbara, who is trying to be the supportive wife & reassuring mother while also finding her own place in the world. McAdams deftly handles each wavering plot point & emotional tug-&-pull throughout the narrative with confident ease.
Perhaps the best aspect of this film is how ordinary everything plays-out. Any melodrama is kept at a subdued level. No one is struggling with a disease. No one gets pregnant at an early age. The family is loving. In other words, these are normal, well-adjusted people whose day-to-day problems are relatable ... and nonetheless engrossing. The film goes to show how seemingly miniscule things can become larger issues from within the pre-teen bubble. We've all experienced it {whether we were young boys or girls}. These issues may seem flimsy, but most of the time they shape a direction that we, as youths, go about our young lives & grow. 'Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret.' is destined to be an enchanting, empathetic coming-of-age classic.